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In this update:
- Election Updates
- Legislative Updates
- Federal Updates
- Committee Schedule
- Upcoming Events
| | Democratic Gubernatorial Candidates participate in Main Street Action Forum | |
This week, the seven Democratic candidates for governor outlined their positions on health care, taxes, education, and immigration during a small-business focused forum. Candidates included Lieutenant Governor Sara Rodriguez, Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley, State Representative Francesca Hong, State Senator Kelda Roys, Former WEDC CEO Missy Hughes, Former Lieutenant Governor Mandela Barnes, and Former Department of Administration Secretary Joel Brennan. The primary winner will face either Washington County Executive Josh Schoemann or Congressman Tom Tiffany in November.
The forum was hosted by Main Street Action and The Recombobulation Area’s Dan Shafer moderated the forum, and Civic Media provided the exclusive live-stream.
Civic Media Also provided links to segments of the forums, where you can go right to the segment of where candidates discuss specific topics:
Candidate opening statements: 13:55
Questions
Do you support a public option for BadgerCare? (24:48)
Candidates answering: Rodriguez, Crowley, Hong, Roys
How will you expand child care access and increase provider compensation? (34:50)
Candidates answering: Hughes, Brennan, Barnes
Do you support a statewide paid family and medical leave program? (42:39)
Candidates answering: Rodriguez, Crowley, Hong, Roys
How can Wisconsin improve capital access for women and minority-owned small businesses? (52:07 )
Candidates answering: Hughes, Brennan, Barnes
How can Wisconsin reform the Manufacturing and Agriculture Tax Credit to support small and mid-size businesses? (1:00:23)
Candidates answering: Roys, Hong, Crowley, Rodriguez
How will you ensure Public Service Commission appointees serve the public, not those of large utilities? (1:09:39)
Candidates answering: Barnes, Brennan, Hughes
How can Wisconsin address teacher shortages while ensuring quality education in rural and urban schools? (1:18:02)
Candidates answering: Rodriguez, Crowley, Hong, Roys
Should Wisconsin increase taxes on the wealthy to fund essential services? (1:23:15)
Candidates answering: Hughes, Brennan, Barnes
In light of the recent events in Minneapolis, how will you communicate and position yourself to strike the balance of maintaining law and order while ensuring citizens’ rights won’t be infringed upon by federal government overreach? (1:26:58)
Candidates answering: All
Link to Civic Media Substack on the Forum
Watch the full forum here.
| Hughes outlines policy proposals | |
Former Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC) Secretary Missy Hughes announced Unlock Wisconsin, a platform focused on small-business formation, workforce training, and housing supply. The plan proposes support to launch 50,000 new businesses through capital access, startup simplification, technical assistance, procurement access, and Main Street revitalization. Sec. Hughes’ plan would also provide training for up to 100,000 additional workers annually via debt-free pathways aligned to high-demand fields in advanced manufacturing, bio health, clean energy/skilled trades, and technology, as well as complete the construction of 200,000 new homes through financing tools, local zoning updates, revolving loan funds, adaptive reuse, and pre-approved modular designs. The campaign attributes its targets to prior program models and market data, and frames the proposals as statewide, community-driven efforts to expand opportunity and improve affordability.
Read the full press release here.
| Caucus fundraising updates | |
The Republican Assembly Campaign Committee (RACC) raised $4.5 million in the second half of 2025, driven largely by seven-figure contributions from two major donors, including one for $3 million and another for $1 million. During the same period, the Committee to Elect a Republican Senate (CERS) reported receiving a single $1,000 contribution from only one of those major donors, while the other contributor who supported RACC did not give to CERS. The sizable contributions helped RACC outraise its Democratic counterpart by a 4-to-1 margin, while the State Senate Democratic Committee (SSDC) outraised CERS more than 2-to-1.
The filings show each caucus’ position heading into 2026, when control of the Legislature will be contested. RACC reported $5.2 million cash on hand, compared with $241,062 for the ADCC. Meanwhile, CERS reported $728,683, and the SSDC reported $446,606.
RACC’s next-largest contribution after the seven-figure gifts was $100,000. The committee reported $42,352 in expenses. ADCC reported $1.1 million in receipts and $1.2 million in disbursements, including a $1 million transfer to Rep. Steven Doyle. Its largest contribution was $175,000, along with several contributions of $100,000 and $50,000. SSDC raised $771,871, spent $478,999, received one $100,000 contribution along with three contributions of $50,000. CERS reported $306,674 in receipts, $21,250 in expenses, and $7,797 in in-kind spending; its largest contribution was $50,000 from a legislative campaign.
RACC
- Main Account
- $4.5 million in receipts
- $5.2 million cash on hand
- Seg Fund
- $440,660 in receipts
- $1 million cash on hand
ADCC
- Main Account
- $1.1 million in receipts
- $241,062 cash on hand
- Seg Fund
- $361,416 in receipts
- $96,955 cash on hand
CERS
- Main Account
- $306,674 in receipts
- $728,682 cash on hand
- Seg Fund
- $327,029 in receipts
- $813,429 cash on hand
SSDC
- Main Account
- $771,871 in receipts
- $446,606 cash on hand
- Seg Fund
- $292,500 in receipts
- $185,610 cash on hand
| Hutton not seeking reelection | |
Republican state Senator Rob Hutton announced that he will not run for reelection this fall, citing personal and professional commitments that “have made it clear that stepping aside is the right decision at this time.”
Senator Hutton’s seat was viewed as one of Democrats’ most competitive pickup opportunities in 2026. In the 2024 presidential election, Vice President Kamala Harris carried the district by six points, and U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin outperformed her GOP opponent there by five points.
Two Democrats have already entered the race for the 5th Senate District: Representative Robyn Vining of Wauwatosa and Sarah Harrison, a community advocate and small business owner who previously ran in a heavily Republican Assembly district. The State Senate Democratic Committee has endorsed Representative Vining.
In his announcement, Senator Hutton said he looks forward to continuing his work over the next year to advance reforms aimed at streamlining government, improving affordability, supporting law enforcement, and expanding access to education, healthcare, and economic opportunities for Wisconsin residents. Representative Hutton served four terms in the Assembly before losing reelection in 2020, then won the 5th Senate district in 2022.
Read the full press release here.
| Pollnow announces bid for secretary of state | |
Republican Farmer and small-business owner Nate Pollnow announced his candidacy for Wisconsin Secretary of State.
In his remarks, Mr. Pollnow said he believes the Secretary of State’s role includes providing information to the public about government activities and state spending. He also referenced his experience operating a family farm as an example of how he approaches work and problem-solving.
Mr. Pollnow is a lifelong Wisconsinite and a second-generation farmer. He also works as a hunter and auctioneer. He and his wife live on an 80-acre farm in the Town of Elba in Dodge County, where they raise cattle.
Democrats JoCasta Zamarripa and Collin McNamara have also announced campaigns to succeed Secretary of State Sarah Godlewski, who is running for lieutenant governor.
| Thurow launches bid for Wisconsin’s 6th CD | |
Mike Thurow, a union fire captain, announced his candidacy for Wisconsin’s 6th Congressional District as an independent. Mr. Thurow is running as an independent based on his belief that both parties have failed the working class family.
Republican Congressman Glenn Grothman currently represents Wisconsin’s 6th Congressional District. He was first elected in 2014 and has been reelected ever since.
Watch the launch video here.
| | Potential Movement on PFAS Legislation | |
Wisconsin PFAS legislation is gaining renewed momentum following a public hearing before the Assembly Committee on Environment on Assembly Bill 130 and Assembly Bill 131, authored by Senator Eric Wimberger and Representative Jeff Mursau. The bills would address PFAS contamination statewide by providing protections for innocent landowners (AB 130) and establishing PFAS-specific grant programs to support communities responding to contamination (AB 131). Newly introduced substitute amendments reflect months of negotiations among lawmakers, the administration, local governments, and stakeholders and mark a departure from last session, when similar legislation was vetoed. Supporters note that Governor Evers is now aligned on landowner protections, significantly improving prospects for passage.
However, the amended bills have also raised concerns among some industry stakeholders. At the hearing, industry representatives warned the legislation could invite legal challenges, citing potential constitutional issues related to treating municipal facilities differently than private entities engaged in similar activities, raising equal protection concerns. Those representatives also questioned the policy rationale for applying different standards to facilities operating under the same regulatory framework, with paper industry representatives arguing the bills unfairly single out their sector despite claims they are not a primary source of PFAS contamination. Despite these concerns, Governor Tony Evers and legislative leaders remain optimistic that outstanding issues—particularly Department of Natural Resources staffing—can be resolved, allowing the Legislature to unlock $125 million in long-authorized PFAS funding for remediation, well compensation, emergency bottled water, and landowner protections.
Read the Gov. Evers press release here.
Read Sen. Wimberger press release here.
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The Assembly had floor sessions on Tuesday, January 20th and Thursday, January 22nd. Click the links below to view the bills passed and resolutions adopted by the Assembly during its floor sessions.
January 20th Assembly Floor Session
January 22nd Assembly Floor Session
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Click the link below to view the bills passed and resolutions adopted by the Senate during its floor session on Wednesday, January 21st.
January 21st Senate Floor Session
| | Trump Trade 2.0 Taiwan Deal, Critical Minerals, and Iran Threats | |
Taiwan Trade and Investment Deal
The U.S. and Taiwan have finalized a new trade and investment deal, the Commerce Department announced on January 15. Key details of the deal include:
- The U.S. agreed to limit reciprocal tariffs to a maximum of 15% on most Taiwanese exports to the U.S., mirroring deals struck with other key trade partners such as the EU, Japan, and Korea. The previous tariff rate was 20%.
- Additionally, no tariff will be levied on imports of generic pharmaceuticals, aircraft parts, and some natural resources not found in the U.S.
- Taiwanese chip and technology companies have agreed to invest $250 billion in the United States, including to expand domestic chip production. The Taiwanese government agreed to provide an equivalent amount in tax credits to the investing firms to induce further investment in the U.S.
- TSMC will also purchase several hundred additional acres of land adjacent to their current production facility in Arizona to facilitate future expansion.
- Taiwanese firms that produce chips within the U.S. will also receive tariff exemptions for future tariffs under the Section 232 framework according Secretary Lutnik. These firms will be able to import up to 2.5 times that planned capacity without paying Section 232 duties during the approved construction period, with a lower preferential Section 232 rate for above-quota imports.
- Taiwanese companies who have completed new chip production projects in the United States will still be able to import 1.5 times their new U.S. production capacity without being subject to Section 232 tariffs.
Are you concerned about the impacts of the outlined trade issues? Please contact Sarah Helton, Michael Best Strategies’ Trade Practice Lead at sarah.helton@michaelbest.com for assistance
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Monday, February 2 - Meet the Candidate with Congressman Tom Tiffany
Monday, February 2 - Meet the Candidate with Former Lieutenant Governor Mandela Barnes
Friday, February 6 - Capitol Chats with Rep. Jessie Rodriguez (virtual)
Monday, February 16 - Meet the Candidate with Joel Brennan
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If you would like any additional information about the above topic, or if you would like to find time to discuss the above matter in more detail, please do not hesitate to contact your Michael Best Strategies contact.
Have a great day,
Wisconsin GR Team
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One South Pickney Street, Suite 700
Madison, WI 53703
Phone: 608-257-3501
Fax: 608-283-2275
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